It is common, in the construction trades, to be required to pull relatively large electrical cables through conduits which are often not much larger in diameter than the cables, and which in general contain a number of relatively sharp bends. The difficulty in so doing can be greatly increased by friction between the exterior of the cable and the interior of the conduit as the cable is pulled through the conduit. To reduce this problem, it is known to apply lubricant to the exterior of the cable, for example by way of a collar which surrounds the cable and through which the cable is pulled just prior to its being pulled through the conduit. It is also known to scoop up lubricant and apply it to the exterior of the cable just prior to pulling. Also it is known that a plastic bag of gel-like lubricant can be slit and tied to the trailing end of a mandrel. As the bag is pulled through the conduit some of the gel is rather haphazardly squeezed onto the conduit in an attempt to pre-lubricate the conduit. Not only are these methods often untidy and difficult to use, but they are generally less effective than would be desired, particularly since the oil applied to the cable may be progressively wiped or drained away as the cable progresses through the conduit.
Undue frictional engagement between the cable and the conduit will commonly result in an excessively high tension in the pulling cable, with the danger of breakage thereof, as well as in the possibility of damage to the cable, the connections thereto, or the conduit itself.
The system and method of the present invention provides improved lubrication during the pulling of a cable through a conduit, controls the amount of lubrication making the pulling easier and more tidy, the tension in the pulling line smaller and the danger of damage to cable or conduit less, while reducing the overall cable pulling cost.